Rainy Reminiscing, Deathly Days
by From Dust to Ashes
Summary: Link was never strong enough to defeat Ganondorf. Character study of sorts. AU, Timeline C (Failure Timeline).


It was raining again. It began lightly at first, a slight tap at the windowsill to announce its arrival, as if a polite suitor rapping his fist against her antechamber. Birds chirped in alarm, then began to flock for the safety of the trees. She would have smiled at the sight of their graceful flight perhaps a year ago, but smiles came rarely now. The rain then increased in intensity gradually. The windows held back the offending droplets, the roof of her bedroom releasing a steady never ending stream of staccato beats. Moisture began to drip down her own cheeks. She cursed the windows, that maybe they weren't sealed properly or perhaps that the roof was leaking. Funny, she thought, that the wetness tasted salty.

* * *

Link dove behind a pillar as his adversary swept its mighty battle axe once more. The pillar crumbled into rubble, narrowly missing Link by half of a meter. He cursed and sprinted up towards the Iron Knuckle. One thing he had learned from fighting this thing for what seemed to be an hour was that after it swung its axe, it was vulnerable for several seconds while it struggled to free its axe with a single minded intensity. Link ran, legs burning, up the shaft of the axe. Jumping, he kicked off the axe, flipping into the air. Midway through his somersault, it seemed like time slowed down.

The Iron Knuckle flexed, attempting to remove the axe from the shattered remains of the pillar...

Link extended his sword into the air, just before his downward momentum began to take effect...

The creature seemed to sense his intentions, and redoubled its efforts, a grunt coming forth from its helmet...

Link forced his arm downward, adding to the force of his strike...

A screech of metal on rock as the axe slowly pulled free...

And Link cleaved the breastplate of the Iron Knuckle into, a massive rent disfiguring the once grand armor. He landed on all fours, hands and feet splayed like a cat. An ugly red splotch began to grow from the cleft in the Iron Knuckle's armor. Link hoped that it would fall down, and stay down, but the armor dropped away to reveal an enraged looking Gerudo. A large gash adorned her chest, but she was still alive enough to pull twin scimitars from her belt and charge him. Link cursed and raised his shield in anticipation of another wild charge.

* * *

Tears fell freely from her eyes now, flowing unchecked by the missing need for protocol. She admitted it to herself now, she was crying. But she wouldn't allow herself to think about why. No, she wouldn't. The rain, she thought hurriedly in an attempt to distract herself from her depression. It was beautiful, the way each drop fell so individual of each other, the way the sun shined through each drop to form a beautiful rainbow. Only know there was no light, and there was no sun. Only the gray, gray light of the clouds.

* * *

Link turned pale as the shadow creature leapt out from the paintings surrounding him. At first he froze for a second, then sprang into action. Even as Link drew his Fairy Bow, his mind was plagued with millions of thoughts of doubt, incredulousness, but most of all, _fear. _Ganon? Here? Why was he all black? Was he real? Was this a dream? Would Link die here?

Banishing those emotions away as best as he could, Link nocked the arrow and drew it to his cheek in one fluid, practiced motion. He sighted the target, mentally checking off anything that could throw off his aim. Elevation? Minimal; target at close range. Wind? None at all. Armor? Nothing a barbed broadhead couldn't solve. He released the bowstring, feeling the vibration shake his arm and watched the arrow arc and hit home, piercing the phantom square in the chest. Link felt a pang of satisfaction as he watched the Un-Ganon tumble off his horse in a flurry of limbs. That satisfaction was wiped away instantly as he watched the phantom Ganon rise, leaving his horse which whined and then was whisked away in a blur of shadow, leaving behind naught but wisps of darkness.

Ganon drew a massive trident-like pike and leveled it at Link. It glowed for a second, to the point where it was almost painful, and a sphere of bristling energy was launched in his direction. Link responded instinctively, drawing the Master Sword from its scabbard. He whirled it once in his wrist, feeling the cold leather, the blade's momentum spinning the sword around in a perfect arc, then grasped the sword in one hand. Navi's words echoed in his mind, "A sword of Evil's Bane, able to withstand the vilest and darkest of magics." He placed the blade in front of his chest and braced it with his right gauntlet. The magic bolt struck him, sending shock waves into his wrists.

But instead of delivering its deadly charge into his body, instead, it was launched back at the shadow. Ganon, perhaps not anticipating a deflection of its own magic, was struck squarely in the chest once more. Electricity spread across his body, jerking his limbs in every which way, sending sparks into the air. Link seized the chance, and charged forward, Master Sword drawn behind him. The Phantom Ganon stood, helpless, as Link swung the sword forward, and swept the sword through it from below the right armpit through to the left side of the neck. Like the horse, there was no death cry, just an effect like a fog around him. Slowly, he lost cohesiveness, shadow melting into shadow. Link smiled in triumph, only to seize in terror when words began to boom out from the air around him.

"Hey kid, you did quite well. It looks like you may be gaining some slight skill," said Ganon, his physical self nowhere to be seen. It did not stop him from communicating though, his voice as sarcastic and belittling as ever. "But you have defeated only my phantom. When you fight the real me, it won't be so easy." Then his voice became enraged, but focused his anger at the apparition. "What a worthless creation that ghost was! I will banish it go the gap between dimensions!"

* * *

The rain came down heavily now, sheets and sheets of pouring rain. Never ending rain. Never ending rain. Zelda cursed, closing her eyes gently, two droplets forming in each crease of her eyes. The rain always made her think about how she missed Link. She laughed, although there was no mirth left in it. She laughed because it was funny that only minutes ago, she could not bare the thought of Link. Now she was reveling in it, admitting it to herself. Why? She didn't know. Didn't care. Zelda grasped the windowsill, gazing out as if that could bring Link back. But it couldn't. Because he was gone, gone for over a year, and chances of him coming back were slim. More tears fell.

* * *

Ganondorf marched toward Link's fallen body. Link struggled to lift his burnt left arm; his vision felt so clouded. He reached for the his magic, and cast a beam of light at the Gerudo. Ganondorf fell to one knee, screaming. "Augh! Oh kid, you got me! It hurts, it really does." He covered his right side with his left arm pressed against his stomach. Then he rose again, mockingly. "Oh wait. No you didn't!" Laughing, he strode over to Link, sword in tow. It was harder to breathe now, as if an anvil had been placed upon his chest. Link was angry at himself, that he had come this far, destroyed all those monsters, only to be felled at the last obstacle. But most of all, he was angry that he would never see Zelda again, that he had failed her one and only request. Ganondorf leaned over Link's fallen form. "Good luck next time, huh, kid?" Ganondorf winked at him while raising his sword. Link again tried to raise his left arm, but the Gerudo saw the action. The blade came down.

* * *

A/N: I have no idea why I wrote this. It was 2 AM and I was bored so I started typing. I came out with this. Probably the worst story possible for holiday times too, lol. Oh well. R&R? :D


End file.
